The invention relates to a high density synthetic plastic panel useful in improving the shipping safety of stacks of eggs in trays, everything mounted on a pallet, the whole system constituting a skid. The loose eggs are collected from the farmers who produce them and transported to a packing plant where the eggs are washed, candled, graded, and packed for shipment to retailers such as grocery stores and supermarkets. The loose eggs are placed in conventional trays which are then mounted one atop another to form a stack, usually of six trays. These trays are illustrated in U.S. Design Pat. No. 281,955. In the past, the panels used to separate stacks of eggs have been made of plywood of appropriate area having a half-round around the perimeter of the panel to prevent stacks of trays from sliding off the panel during the rough jouncing of truck or railroad shipment. Since a full pallet carries over 10,000 eggs, it can be seen that if one of these units crashes over, the resulting mess is unbelievable.
According, there is a need for a panel which locks the stacks of trays filled with eggs in position to minimize the chances of the egg-stacking system from separating into portions which can fall individually or which can overbalance the entire system.
It is the object of this invention to present a loose-egg shipping panel having locking lugs or depressions on the bottom of the panel to keep the panel from shifting on the stack of eggs below, while the molded perimeter of the panel holds the layer of eggs on top snugly in place.